the Word 844. Word of God how powerful to effect what he willeth 115 Words some light others weighty 511 Words should give light to things spoken of 27. Darkning words very bad 28. Words soft and hard 670. A few words will please God where he sees much faith 788. Our words and understandings should go together 812 Works of God how dangerous to find fault with any of them 508 509. The works especially the great works of God are very much to be considered 607. Works of God why called his wayes 624. They are wonderful 316 World the frame of it very beautiful 64 65. Things of the world how like a Sea of glass 231 Worship outward and inward must be according to the command of God 918 Wrath of God 578. Sin causeth the kindlings and discoveries of wrath 860 God sometimes declareth against those whom he loveth 861. God dedeclares the cause of his wrath 861 Wrongs must be forgiven 887. A godly man is ready both to give and take satisfaction in case of wrong 8â—8 It is a duty to pray for those that have done us wrong 889. X Xerxes his vanity in attempting to bind the Sea 109 Y Youth What young ones are used to they hold long 487 A TABLE OF Those Scriptures which are occasionally cleered and briefly illustrated in the fore-going EXPOSITIONS The First Number directs to the Chapter the Second to the Verse the Third to the Page of the BOOKE Chap. Vers Page  Genesis  2. 18. 726. 6. 5. 150. 6. 6. 929. 10. 10. 623. 11. 6. 801. 14. 22. 55. 16. 12. 330. 19. 14. 447. 22. 1. 264. 22. 2. 916. 29. 1. 314. 32. 24. 21. 41. 30. 413. 44. 16. 520. 49. 14. 623 49. 24. 552.  Exodus  1. 12. 977. 3. 2. 13. 3. 14. 49. 4. 11. 60. 8. 9. 547. 12. 41 42. 318. 19. 5. 490. 26. 5. 735. 30. 23. 624. 32. 10. 504.  Leviticus  4. 3. 878. 19. 17. 855. 26. 11 15 30. 829.  Numbers  13. 32. 61. 14. 24. 919. 20. 14. 956. 23. 22. 380. 32. 23. 186.  Deuteronomy  28. 33. 373. 28. 59. 456. 32. 11 12. 490. 32. 15. 905. 32. 36. 929. 33. 13 14 15. 240. 33. 17. 380 348. 33. 28. 224.  Joshua  1. 5. 694. 10. 11. 191.  Judges  5. 12. 931. 5. 20. 191. 6. 37 40. 226. 7. 2. 600. 7. 21. 85.  I. Samuel  1. 6. 432. 2. 3. 745. 2. 31. 547. 12. 21. 685. 15. 11. 929. 17. 40. 637. 24. 2. 307. 24. 14. 665.  II. Samuel  6. 3. 918. 8. 2. 64. 17. 12. 223.  I. Kings  8. 11. 568. 12. 10. 548. 19. 11. 14. 20. 11. 35.  II. Kings  4. 29. 34. 5. 7. 602. 6. 22. 962. 21. 13. 63.  I. Chronicles  15. 13. 918.  Ezra  9. 13. 538.  Nehemiah  4. 6. 364 375.  Psalms  2. 4. 420. 8. 4. 23. 9. 9. 183. 9. 14. 723. 11. 3. 56. 14. 6. 669 982. 18. 7 8 9. 14. 18. 21. 524. 18. 26. 904. 18. 33. 313. 19. 4. 167. 19. 12. 814. 22. Title 312 313. 22. 21. 382. 22. 27. 130. 23. 1 2. 343. 24. 1. 54. 27. 8. 264. 27. 10. 403. 29. 8 9. 315. 30. 5. 117. 31. 23. 950. 33. 9. 114. 33. 17. 426. 34. 10. 288. 35. 12 13. 940. 35. 21. 460. 36. 6. 148. 36. 9. 50. 37. 6. 960. 39. 4. 316 48. 40. 5. 802. 40. 15. 460. 46. 2. 52. 50. 3 4. 18. 50. 21. 834. 51. 4. 499. 65. 1. 65. 65. 5. 20. 65. 8. 122. 66. 11 12. 933. 68. 18. 931. 68. 20. 154 934. 68. 35. 729. 69. 23. 619. 71. 1. 503. 73. 22. 610 814. 74. 14. 678. 74. 20. 170. 75. 5. 433 745. 77. 19. 149. 78. 72. 898. 80. 3 7 19. 581. 88. 13. 700. 90. 1 2. 49. 91. 16. 213. 94. 12. 794. 97. 3. 744. 101. 8. 134. 102. 17. 947. 104. 4. 262. 104. 5. 51. 104. 19. 128 248. 104. 21. 287. 105. 17 18 19. 244. 105. 25. 246. 105. 44. 373. 106. 20. 568. 107. 42. 522. 108. 1. 81. 109. 4. 938. 110. 3. 359. 111. 2. 151. 118. 22 23 24. 74. 118. 27. 122. 119. 17. 828 794. 119. 21. 591. 119. 33 34 35. 820. 119. 126. 538. 119. 160. 624. 126. 1. 323. 126. 4. 934. 126. 6. 376. 127. 4. 763. 128. 2. 373. 133. 1. 914. 138. 6. 486. 139. 9. 131. 141. 5. 939. 141. 7. 154. 144. 3. 515. 145. 10. 79. 145. 11. 80. 146. 3. 555. 147. 16 17. 228.  Proverbs  3. 20. 223. 6. 32. 692. 8. 36. 692. 9. 1. 610. 10. 32. 898. 14. 4. 362 378. 14. 8. 810. 15. 15. 668. 17. 17. 958. 19. 2. 33. 19. 12. 225. 19. 21. 800. 21. 3. 901. 21. 5. 371. 23. 5. 475. 23. 31. 655. 24. 16. 310 25. 19. 374. 27. 22. 794. 29. 23. 581. 30. 1. 789. 30. 4. 200. 31. 17. 619. 31. 25. 338.  Ecclesiastes  1. 4. 52. 1. 15. 161. 7. 13 14. 244. 8. 15. 963. 9. 7. 897. 9. 11. 287.  Canticles  1. 6. 779. 1. 9. 464. 2. 10 11 12. 232. 2. 12. 78. 2. 14. 944.  Isaiah  1. 31. 639. 2. 22. 439 513. 2. 22. 958. 6. 5. 833. 8. 9. 595. 10. 13. 601. 11. 3. 461. 11. 9. 792. 14. 12. 82. 18. 2 7 63. 20. 5. 555. 21. 10. 763. 22. 8 9. 983. 27. 5. 195. 27. 8. 190. 27. 11. 415. 28. 16. 69. 28. 24. 366. 28. 29. 816. 31. 1. 427. 31. 4. 283. 32. 2. 189. 33. 17. 491. 34. 7. 382. 34. 11. 63. 35. 1 2 6 7. 210. 40. 2. 940. 40. 26. 250. 40. 31. 492. 43. 4. 514. 44. 3 4 5. 210. 45. 5. 575. 45. 7. 169. 49. 4. 682. 49. 15. 403. 50. 4. 32. 51. 12. 29. 53. 1. 549. 54. 10. 52. 54. 16 17. 766 639. 56. 11. 285. 58. 5. 745. 58. 7. 409. 61. 7. 952. 63. 12. 548. 64. 2. 231. 64. 7. 536 37. 64. 6 7. 692. 65. 1. 551. 66. 2. 15.  Jeremiah  1. 17. 35. 2. 24. 316. 2. 30. 683. 3. 5. 789. 4. 1. 844. 4. 14. 804. 4. 18. 908. 4. 30. 1001. 5. 5. 329. 8. 15. 683. 10. 11 12. 54. 14. 11. 892. 14. 21. 905. 14. 22. 219. 18. 7 8. 929. 21. 3. 134. 22. 14. 60. 22. 15 23. 595. 25. 38. 290. 29. 11. 802. 29. 12. 946. 32. 15 17 27. 798. 51. 26. 71.  Lamentations  1. 15. 263. 3. 13. 763. 3. 65. 737. 4. 3. 408.  Ezekiel  7. 17. 757. 21. 6. 619. 28. 2. 100. 30. 21. 556. 44. 5. 826. 47. 3 4 5. 792.  Daniel  1. 4. 442. 8. 16. 810. 9. 24. 884.  Hosea  1. 7. 702. 2. 21 22. 212. 7. 16. 844. 8. 5. 329. 10. 11. 366. 14. 3. 702.  Joel  2. 13. 848.  Amos.  4. 12. 194. 8. 11. 484.  Jonah  4. 8. 200.  Micah  5. 7. 225. 5. 8. 283. 6. 6. 900. 7. 6. 905. 7. 18. 882.  Nahum  1. 3. 20.  Habakkuk  1. 8. 77. 1. 11. 602. 3. 16. 833. 3. 17. 682. â— 19. 313.  Zephanie  3. 3. 77. 3. 5. 112. 3. 9. 87.  Haggai  1. 9. 682. 2. 17. 194.  Zecharie  2. 13. 754. 3. 1. 696. 4. 7. 470. 4. 10. 63. 4. 14. 696. 8. 6. 798. 10. 1. 260. 10. 3. 465. 11. 17. 547. 12. 3. 686. 12. 10. 689. 12. 11 12. 915.  Matthew  5. 44. 85. 5. 45. 210 116. 6. 22. 740 6. 24. 874. 10. 13. 940. 11. 30. 917. 16. 18. 686. 16. 26. 683. 20. 6 7. 731 121. 23. 8. 16. 23. 23. 608. 24. 28. 488.  Luke  10. 15. 687. 84. 23. 341. 17. 37. 488. 19 38 39 40. 79 80.  John  1. 11 408. 3. 8. 200 201. 4. 24. 918. 6. 46. 827. 9. 4. 121. 15. 19. 408. 21. 17. 803.  Acts.  2. 37. 921. 4. 32. 736. 6. 15. 81. 9. 11. 936. 10. 35. 899. 17. 26. 334. 17. 28. 220 50. 20. 22. 241.  Romans  1. 20. 89 90. 1. 23. 568. 3. 4. 499. 6. 19. 332. 6. 21. 685. 8. 22. 320. 8. 34. 946. 8. 38 39. 420. 9. 20. 29. 10. 3. 838. 11. 35. 700. 14. 18. 901. 15. 3. 343. 16. 20. 587.  1 Corinth  4. 7. 390. 4. 6 7. 734. 7. 21 22 24. 330. 8. 2. 813. 9. 9. 288. 10. 26 28. 707. 13. 8. 161. 15. 8. 248.  2 Corinth  1. 20. 924. 3. 12. 31. 3. 18. 568. 5. 9. 896. 5. 10 11. 18 19. 5. 21. 884. 6. 1. 914 86. 7. 1. 922. 8. 5. 371. 8. 12. 902. 10. 4 5. 561. 10. 12. 564. 10. 8 13. 62 63.  Galathians  1. 15 16. 916. 1. 16. 264. 3. 10. 842. 4. 26. 332. 6. 2. 134.  Ephesians  2. 9. 733. 2. 14. 70. 4. 8. 931. 5. 10. 901. 5. 29. 408.  Philippians  2. 4. 341. 2. 15. 124. 2. 13. 412. 3. 7 8. 836. 3. 21. 513.  1 Timothy  1. 5. 92â— 2. 8. 886. 2. 9. 975. 5. 8. 409.  2 Timothy  1. 6. 37. 2. 3. 407. 2. 3 4 5. 590. 2. 6. 769. 4. 15. 284.  Titus  2. 9. 917  Hebrews  1. 5. 83. 1. 8. 263. 11. 3. 51. 11. 10. 47. 12. 17. 982. 12. 26. 51. 13. 14. 47.  James  1. 6 7. 942 1. 17. 268. 1. 18. 221. 4. 12. 598. 5. 11. 952. 5. 16. 942.  1 Peter  1. 13. 37. 3. 3. 975. 3. 7. 937. 3. 13. 907. 4. 11. 31. 4. 17. 534. 5. 7. 7. 5. 8. 293.  2 Peter  3. 16. 32. 3. 18. 792.  1 John  3. 9. 525. 4. 12. 823. 4. 18. 756. 5. 3. 917. 5. 16. 892. 5. 19. 591.  3 John  0 4. 1024.  Jude  0 6. 89 186. 0 14 15. 18.  Revelation  1. 18. 154. 4. 6. 231. 8. 3 5. 945. 11. 2 3. 318. 11. 3 34. 12 13 14. 336. 12. 15. 493. 17. 12 13. 736. 18. 6 7. 950. FINIS
AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations CONTINUED UPON The Thirty-eighth Thirty-ninth Fortieth Forty-first and Forty-second being the five last Chapters of the Book OF JOB Being the Substance of Fifty-two Lectures or Meditations By JOSEPH CARYL Minister of the Gospel JAMES 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is pitiful and of tender mercy LONDON Printed by M. and S. Simmons and are to be sold by Robert Boulter at the Turks-head near the Royal Exchange 1666. TO THE Christian Reader TO Those especially of the City of London who have been THE PROMOTERS Of this WORK SIRS THE end of a thing saith Solomon Eccl. 7 8. is better than the beginning thereof Not that all things end better than they begin some persons begin well and some things are begun well which end and are ended not so well that I say not very ill Through the All-disposing providence of God and the importunate call of not a few worthy friends I began this Work and now after twenty-four years travel making twelve stages in so many parts the whole is come forth I am come to the end of it And truly I might justly be reproved at least for dulness and indiligence or counted a very slow-paced Traveller had I spent that twenty-four years the best of my time and strength in measuring so short a journey But as I have this to say towards an Apology for my over-long stay in this work that I have had frequent diversions for a considerable part of that time quite from it so the whole time which I have spent in it hath been but a diversion or time I hope honestly stoln either from my rest or from that which was my more proper work And now that I have at last ended what I began all that I shall say of it is that I have ended it Whether I began it well or have ended it well and whether or no the end be better than the beginning is not for me to say Should I say that I began it well and have ended it well or that the end is better than the beginning it were a piece of most immodest pride and should I say the contrary of both or of either it might deservedly be called more than a piece of proudest modesty Such as it is from the beginning to the end 't is what my weakness with the strength of Christ given in what my small industriousness with the blessing given down from above could attain unto And I humbly give thanks to the Father of lights from whom every good gift and every perfect gift cometh for any light received or held out towards the understanding of this Book in which who sees not there are many things as the Apostle Peter saith of Saint Pauls Epistles hard to be understood so hard to be understood that though I am confident through the grace of God with me I have not wrested them to my own hurt or the hurt much less destruction of others as 't is there said the ignorant and unstable do the other Scriptures to their own destruction yet I am not ashamed to acknowledge that I fear I have not attained so clear an understanding about some of them as to clear them which hath been my desire with satisfaction to the understanding of others However if what I have attained to may be in any measure serviceable to the Church of God or helpful to any poor soul in an afflicted condition such was Jobs I have reached one great end aimed at and if God have any glory by it I have reached the greatest end which can be aimed at And though the work should be found to have many defects possibly mistakes in it yet the ingenuous Reader will candidly interpret them or charitably cover them knowing that failings are common to humane frailty in the best of men how much more in the meanest of them And I shall account it a great kindness if I may be friendly minded of those defects that so if ever any of these Pieces shall be admitted to come out again an amendment may be made and the Work grow up to more perfection This last Part now coming forth contains the whole transaction from first to last between God and Job none speaking but they two and Job but very little Elihu having finisht his speech in the close of the thirty seventh Chapter the Lord himself appeared at the entrance of the thirty eighth in a Majestick and tremendous manner bespeaking Job out of a vehement and tempestuous whirlwind and taking up the same argument which Elihu had so much insisted upon before for the conviction of Job carrieth him in discourse quite through the universe thereby farther to convince him by the view and consideration of his mighty and admirable works of creation and providence how ignorant and weak he was in himself how altogether unable and incompetent to contend with God and therefore how rash and inconsiderate he had been in not submitting how great soever his sufferings were more quietly to him And as Elihu said Chap. 35.11 That God teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth and maketh us wiser than the fowls of Heaven so doubtless one great scope which the Lord had in his eye throughout that discourse was to teach Job and with him us that his care was much more over him and is over us than over the beasts of the earth or the fowls of heaven And hereupon having shewed his own infinite power and wisdom as also his goodness and tender compassions in providing for all sorts of irrational living creatures he left Job and leaves us to make the Inference how watchful he is over how respectful to man a rational as well as a living creature Our blessed Saviour preaching upon the same subject to his Disciples expresseth the Inference Mat. 6.26 Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet yâ—â— heavenly father feedeth them are ye not much better than they And again vers 30. Wherefore it God so cloath the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith Jesus Christ saw it necessary to make these express applications to his Disciples who at that time were both of little faith and of little understanding But here the Lord left Job a wise and knowing man to pick or spell out his meaning and make application to himself while he told him so particularly how his providence at once over-ruled maintained The roaring Lion the wild Goat the wilde Ass the stubborn Unicorn the strong Horse the mighty Behemoth among the beasts of the earth the devouring Raven the proud Peacock the foolish Ostrich the swift winged Hawk and the high-soaring Eagle among the fowls of the air as also the formidable Leviathan among or rather representing all the fishes of the Sea
for Job may strengthen our faith in believing that he will and lengthen out our patience in waiting till he doth make both these desirable ends for all those who like Job have lay'n long under the pressing burdens of hard afflictions and harsh constructions Now that the Lord would finish this work of mercy and cut it short in righteousness wiping tears from off all faces and taking away the rebuke of his people from off the earth by a timely restitution of them to their lost enjoyments and blasted credits which yet will not be fully done until the times of the restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets since the world began that the Lord I say would finish this work should be our uncessant cry to God in prayer for all his sorrowing Jobs even for all those who are any where companions in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ To his blessing and the effectual working of his holy Spirit I commend you in the perusal of this ensuing commentary that reading ye may understand believe and profit to sanctification consolation and salvation according to the will of God and the hearts desire of May 10th 1666. Your affectionate friend and servant JOSEPH CARYL Reader BY reason of the Authors absence while the greatest Part of the Book was doing the following faults have past which thou art desired to correct Errata Page Line Error Correction 3 23 each to to each 259 22 those these 267 22 Lightning Hightning 289 13 he blot it out 350 3 Indea Judea 351 35 Bengata Bengala 352 12 2d 22d 354 10 have hath 354 13 not so so not 369 14 15 As was shewed before blot it out 394 26 448 38 she he 455 9 our their 468 1 forbids forbad 477 12 not blot it out 615 14 probably probable 620 14 his horns blot out his 620 15 his claws blot out his 645 2 they blot it out 650 20 understand understood 659 26 and to be blot it out 696 7 a no 714 32 have hath 728 20 with blot it out 746 12 them him 746 17 with any ay with 750 4 refuge refuse 770 34 Observation Information 797 13 will willed 806 36 fervency blot it out 822 27 taken taking 831 36 followeth followed 842 37 this the 843 23 means meant 846 4 extraordinary extraordinarily 846 33 repenteth repented 876 13 sheweth shewed 876 13 directeth directed 880 16 his blot it out 881 1 as was 932 24 and so 942 10 take one instance for all blot it out 944 13 are is 944 25 he hath they have 969 19 or and 980 4 do doth 1009 26 first blot it out Omissions Page Line  202 28 after water adde First of the waters in the clouds from those upon the earth Secondly of those upon the earth into the several parts of it 455 24 after come adde she had not been reproved 714 7 after to adde do 769 16 after exercise adde us 777 13 after fear adde not 786 6 after omnipotency adde I know 809 19 after hence adde some 817 8 after ear adde hath often 372 9 after him adde when he asked him whether he would do it 876 1 after it adde even Heathenish 885 6 after and adde as 923 20 after accepted adde them 939 20 after and adde that I. 964 9 after ye adde then 972 14 after is adde said 997 10 after sex adde yet AN EXPOSITION WITH Practical Observations UPON The Thirty-eighth Thirty-ninth Fortyeth Forty-first and Forty-second being the Last Chapters of the Book of JOB JOB Chap. 38. Vers 1 2 3. 1. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said 2. Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge 3. Gird up now thy loines like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me THis Chapter begins the last Act or Conclusion of that great Disputation between Job and his three Friends held forth in this Book We have heard Jobs three Friends strongly charging him We have heard Job stiffely defending himself We have heard Elihu though moderating the matter between them yet sharply reproving him Elihu was indeed a quick but a necessary reprover provided and sent by God First To calm and coole Jobs spirit diâ—quieted by enduring sharp afflictions from the hand of God and heated by heaâ—ing those sharper accusations from the tongues of men Secondly To reclaim him from those over-eager defences of his own integrity and likewise from those over-passionate complaints abâ—ut the dealings of God to a better and more submissive temper of spirit towards him as also to lower thoughts of himself Elihu fell upon the usefull point and hit as I may say the Nail on the head he struck the right Vein and met with the peccant Humour yet being young and wanting gravity to set all home and make it work or to make the impression deep enough upon Job it was but need that God himself should second him and he did it to purpose or with full effect pressing the same Arguments for the main which Elihu had begun yet so that we may manifestly discern a wide difference whether we respect words or things matter or manner between men how much soever assisted by the spirit of God and God himself in speaking Here the Eternal God Jehovah having seen his faithful servant and stout Champion Job contending and wrastling long with Satan his professed enemy and with his harsh and censorious though both professed and real Friends foreseeing also that if Job and his Friends who had also been provoked by Elihu should have proceeded to answer him a new broil must needs begin God I say who never fails nor forsakes his in their extreamity or in time of their greatest need seeing and fore-seeing all this stept in most seasonably and most graciously to undertake the decision of this great Controversie between Job and his Friends in person raising a stormy Wind as a witness of his mighty presence or to testifie who was there as also though with a Fatherly love and affection yet impartially and plainly to convince Job of his errour shewing him wherein he had offended and bringing him at last upon his knees in a self-abhorrence and repentance in dust and ashes Thus God the chief Judge the great Arbitrator and Determiner of all doubts and questions and of all matters and things the great God I say declared himself to whom Job had made so many appeals whom he so earnestly desired to take further and fuller cognisance of his Cause He even He comes forth as a just and righteous Judge and lets him and his Friends know his mind and judgement in the case So then The Question ventilated in this Book is not stated according to the judgement of a man who is subject to errour but according to the infinite wisdom and understanding of the great God who searcheth the heart and knoweth all secrets who is light and in whom
our thoughts to the praise of God to sing and shout his praises Did the Stars take them properly and did the Sons of God the Angels rejoyce when the work first began and is not the work to be rejoyced in now 't is finished Though sin hath sullied the work yet the glory of God is still transparent in it the power goodness and wisdom of God are gloriously seen in the things that are made Rom. 1.20 not onely were they seen but they are â—een to this day The creatures are still a glass wherein we may â—â—â—â—hold the invisible things of God even his eternal Power and God-head so that they who glorifie him not in and for those works will be found and left without excuse They are a book a volume consisting of as many leaves and lines as there are distinct sorts of creatures wherein we may read the great God plainly described to us and if so let us remember our fault this day Is it not our sin and shame that we are so little in admiring God for this work which set all the Angels in heaven a singing a shouting a wondring There are several things in the Works of Creation which well considered will soon provoke us to singing and to shouting First The multitude of Creatures Secondly The various kinds of Creatures Thirdly The beauty and excellency that is in the Creatures Fourthly The profit and the usefulness of the Creatures These laid together should draw out our praises and cause us to exalt the power wisdom and goodness of God manifested in and by his Creatures Lastly Consider what was iâ— that caused the Angels to â—hout for jâ—y when they saw this woâ—k of God begun Surely it was the appearance or manifestation of God shining brightly in the Work of Creation Hence Observe The discoveries of the power wisdom and goodness of God should stir up and engage every man and cannot but effectually stir up and engage those who are wise and good to rejoyce in God Somewhat of God is stamped or there are certain lines of his transcendent perfections drawn upon every Creature here a line of wisdom and there a line of power here a line of goodness and there a line of mercy the sight of these should cause us to shout for joy especially that this God the Creator of the ends of the Earth is our God for ever and ever and will be our guide even unto death How many lines have we of God in the World which we have not read much less studied and commented upon In how many things is God visible and yet we see him not nor acknowledge him as we ought Take onely these two things by way of inference from the whole First To be of a praising of a rejoycing spirit iâ—â—o be of an excellent spirit of an angelical spirit Let us imitate â—he Angels in praising God The Angels are called the Sons of God because they imitate him let us imitate the Angels in praising God so shall we approve our selves the Sons of God too Secondly Consider The Angels rejoyced at the laying of the foundations of the Earth The Earth was made for man Heaven was the Angels habitation they were well provided for if there had never been an Earth they had been provided for yet they shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the Earth for the use of man and beast Hence take this Inference It shews a good spirit to rejoyce at the good of others or to be pleased with that which is beneficial to others though it be no benefit to us This argues an excellent spirit an angelical spirit Some if they are well housed and provided for care not whether others are housed and provided for or no nor can they rejoyce at the good of others but as their own good is concern'd In glory we shall be like to the Angels our very bodies shall be like to the Angels living without food without sleep without marriage in Heaven we shall neither marry nor be given in marriage but shall be like the Angels O let us strive to be like the Angels in our minds now as we hope to have our bodies like the Angels hereafter even clothed as the Schoolmen call them with angelical endowments Unless our spirits are like the Angels here unless we have hearts like the hearts of Angels in this World we shall never have bodies like them hereafter or in the World to come JOB Chap. 38. Vers 8 9 10 11. 8. Or who shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth as if it had issued out of the womb 9. When I made the Cloud the garment thereof and thick darkness a swadling band for it 10. And brake up for it my decreed place and set bars and doors 11. And said Hitherto shalt thou come but no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed THe Lord having questioned Job about the Fabrick of the Earth and shewed the triumph and acclamations of Angels at it in the former Context He next leads him to the waters or carrieth him to the Sea there to consider his Works of wonder As Moses in the beginning of Genesis having summarily and in general spoken of the Creation of Heaven and Earth descendeth to particulars so here we have the Lord passing from one part of the Creation to another from the Creation of the Earth to that other great part of the Creation the Waters or the Sea Vers 8. Who shut up the Sea with doors c. In these words we have First The Creation of the Sea Secondly Its Constitution both set forth by most elegant Metaphors The Creation or Production of the Sea is shadowed by allusion to an Infant breaking forth out of the womb Vers 8. The Constitution or settlement of the Sea is carried on in suitable Metaphors to the end of the eleventh Verse Vers 8. Or who hath shut up the Sea with doors when it brake forth c. We have here First The Birth or Nativity of the Sea Secondly What God did with the Sea when it was born and issued out of the womb Then God shut it in with doors and prepared garments and swadling bands for it then he restrained the rage force and fury of it and held it as his prisoner or captive in bonds As soon as an Infant is born it is bound up and swadled and as soon as the Sea as I may say was born or come into the World God took order with it and to keep it in order he provided doors to shut it in and garments to bind it up with What the Scripture speaks of Gods coercing the Sea may be reduced to two heads First To that restraint which he laid upon the Sea presently upon its Creation some say the first others the third day of the Creation according to that Gen. 1.9 God said Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear and it was so Thus the
all sorts of wild beasts and then say they in the latter part of the verse the wild Ass is especially spoken of under another tearm for though we have he wild Ass according to our translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both parts of the Text yet under different appellations by which some understand two soâ—ts of wild Asses but others take the first only in general for wild beasts of any sort and the latter for this particular sort of wild beasts the wild Ass But I conceive we need not be so curious for though we take both the former and the latter word for the same the sense is clear and the same Who hath sent out the wild Ass free Or who hath loosed the bands of the wilde Ass But was the wilde Ass here spoken of at any time in bonds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod promde videtur aliud animal ab Onagro non tamen multum differens Grot. Aliqui vertunt Onagrum Alcen quae sunt equorum asinorum agrestium genera Distinguit inter Onagrum Alcen Plinius lib. 8. c. 15. and now set free I answer The Lord speaks thus figuratively not that the wilde Ass was ever in bonds but that because he is so untractable and will by no means be mannag'd he seems to be as one loosed from bonds even as Oxen and Horses which serve man and are under his power seem bound to his service So then as the former so this latter part of the verse is not to be expounded as if the wilde Ass had ever been under restraint and afterwards was sent forth free and loosed from his bonds but both expressions intend only that as his disposition is for freedom so in his condition he is and alwayes hath been free from bondage for not only is he free from bondage who having been in bondage is delivered as slaves and captives oftentimes are but he may be said to be free from bondage or to have his bonds loosed who was never in bonds who was either born free or who by his wit skill and policy or the help of others hath been preserved from bondage A man may be said to be free from sickness that never was sick as well as he that is restored from sickness to health and so a man that never was in bonds may be said to be free from bonds as well as he that is delivered from bondage Thus the wilde Ass in the Text is said to have his bonds loosed though he never was in bonds As the Lord hath made all creatures so he hath made some free others servile he hath set some at liberty but holds others at hard labour all their dayes in drawing travelling or bearing heavy burdens The words are plain the sum and scope of them may be thus conceived As if the Lord had asked Job by whom this natural inclination was given to the wilde Ass that he should so earnestly desire liberty as also who gave him that foâ—ce and stoutness that he should be able to live without Law to follow his own lust not at all submitting to nor guided by the will of others Who hath sent out the wilde Ass free Hence observe First That some creatures are free from and others bound to service is of Gods own appointment It would be both a vanity and a high presumption to ask the reason why the Lord hath appointed some creatures to spend the whole time of their lives in liberty and that others should be continually groaning under bondage labouring and sweating tyring and wearying themselves out in the service of men seeing we cannot change the orders of God And as we must not busie our selves with enquiring why he hath not subjected the wilde Ass to the same bonds and burdens as he hath tame Asses So we must not say unto God why hast thou made some men to serve others to rule no nor why he handles some men more gently others more grievously We must resolve all these questions into the will dominion and soveraignty of God and we may well conceive that the Lord would in this question about the wilde Asses intimate unto us as well as unto Job that he hath a power in himself which no man ought to question to free some men from the bonds of service and to bind others to free some men from the bonds of affliction sorrow and trouble in this world while others are hamper'd and held fast in them all their dayes What Job spâ—ke in reference to the various dispensation of bodily health Chap. 21.23 24 25. One dyeth in his full strength being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones moistned with marrow and another dyeth in the bitterness of his soul and never eateth with pleasure the same may be said about the dealings of God with men as to bodily liberty one dyeth free he girded himself all the dayes of his life as Christ said to Peter of his younger dayes Joh. 21. and went whither he pleased no man asking whither goest thou or why stayest thou here another is laid by the heels or girded by others and never enjoyeth the freedom of his own person or motions he poor man is bound in fetters and holden in the cords of affliction as Elihu spake in the 36th Chapter of this book This was Jobs case he was in the bonds and cords of affliction while others enjoyed peace and liberty Now man ought no more to question the Lord why one man is afflicted and another free then why the wilde Ass is free and the tame a servant As the whole creation which was occasionally shewed at the third verse is subject unto bondage by reason of the sin of man and groaneth till it be delivered so the soveraignty of God hath laid this bondage heavier upon some parts of the creation or upon some creatures than upon others And as we should daily and deeply bewail it that our sin hath brought bondage upon the creature so we should humbly submit to whatsoever bondage or hard travel the soveraignty of God hath designed us in one kind or other while we are in this world Secondly Consider to whom 't is granted to be free and to have their bonds loosed it is to wilde Asses Then observe To be free from labour and service is but a very low priviledge It is but the priviledge of an Ass and as it is but a low priviledge to be free from service so it is a great sin to cast off service Some under pretence of liberty cast off obedience and will not bear the yoak of duty or good government this is indeed to be free as the wilde Ass is free Such are spoken of Psal 2.2 3. Come let us break their bonds and cast their cords from us They that would break the bonds and cords there spoken of desire only and look after a sinful liberty a meaner liberty than that of the wilde Ass The Prophet going to the